I started using Google Docs earlier this year because I don't have Word on my computer and I'm too cheap to buy it. For a while I was using WordPad, which works, but that's about it. One of my friends told me about GoogleDocs and I have been so pleased with it since I began using it.
https://docs.google.com/a/willamette.edu/document/d/1L-JLi2nRcsl9EnqT7Qb_lMxSx9pQeiN3Lc35lJMT_u4/edit?hl=en_US&pli=1
Tom Cavanaugh and I started working on this Google Docs Project in class last week, and it really has showed me the excellent collaboration abilities of this program. I had been using Google Docs but only as a word processor, but this project has convinced me it's so much more than just that. One of my favorite things was how it really did feel like you were working right along side your partner, but you could completely do it on your own time. I think this tool is really useful for group projects (obviously), but also would be great for editing purposes. Sometimes with really important documents it's nice to get a couple sets of eyes on what your writing, and Google Docs makes this super easy.
Tom and I both added to to all of the sections on and off throughout the day, which really made it seem collaborative all along the way. I plan on adding some more pictures and links, but as of now I just added one of a puppy, because let's face it, they're adorable. And also a link to an article I had read earlier today. I do want to say how cool it was to be able to drag images and texts straight over to the document, that is definitely not something I knew about.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Post 2- Blogging in the Classroom
Alright I've had a day to mull over this whole blogging thing since I began yesterday, and I'm really starting to come around to it. Since I'm already on my second post, I've already made more progress here than in half the journals I've ever started. As I said in my previous post, I have always been intrigued by them but have just never really had anything worth writing about. BUT in the future if I get one for the classrooms I will teach, it will be the perfect setup. I will have material to write about dealing with the classroom, and I will have a built in readership because obviously I'm going to force all of my students to follow it.
I have always liked teachers that send out some type of newsletter to parents. I guess I didn't really receive them too much once I left elementary school, but I thought it was a great way to reach out to parents and coordinate what teachers are doing with what they need parents to do. To me, blogs are the perfect alternative to this because parents and students can read about what's happening in the classroom more often, and the "comment" feature allows them to give their own feedback or ask questions. I think kids should be encouraged to start blogs also because it allows them to experiment with the written word that hopefully spans more than 160 characters, and it enables them to explore subjects that they are passionate about.
A way I would like to use a blog as a future teacher would be to use it as a supplemental lecture resource. I want to teach high school history, and I would imagine that there are a lot of days where you won't be able to cover everything you wanted, or maybe not have enough time to clarify as well as you would have liked. Using a blog would allow me to make brief connections or comments that students could use as a reference. They could ask questions or even start discussions of their own (which I probably will force them to do...) Oh the possibilities are endless...
As easy and user-friendly these programs have become, I think blogging really is a beneficial technology to incorporate in the classroom. I'm sure as I get more comfortable with it myself I will really learn all the capabilities this blog has to offer.
I have always liked teachers that send out some type of newsletter to parents. I guess I didn't really receive them too much once I left elementary school, but I thought it was a great way to reach out to parents and coordinate what teachers are doing with what they need parents to do. To me, blogs are the perfect alternative to this because parents and students can read about what's happening in the classroom more often, and the "comment" feature allows them to give their own feedback or ask questions. I think kids should be encouraged to start blogs also because it allows them to experiment with the written word that hopefully spans more than 160 characters, and it enables them to explore subjects that they are passionate about.
A way I would like to use a blog as a future teacher would be to use it as a supplemental lecture resource. I want to teach high school history, and I would imagine that there are a lot of days where you won't be able to cover everything you wanted, or maybe not have enough time to clarify as well as you would have liked. Using a blog would allow me to make brief connections or comments that students could use as a reference. They could ask questions or even start discussions of their own (which I probably will force them to do...) Oh the possibilities are endless...
As easy and user-friendly these programs have become, I think blogging really is a beneficial technology to incorporate in the classroom. I'm sure as I get more comfortable with it myself I will really learn all the capabilities this blog has to offer.
Saturday, September 17, 2011
Post 1- Personal Bio
My name is Rachel Ewing, I'm 23 and a first time blogger. I've entertained the thought of blogging for years now because I'd like to think that what I have to say is entertaining and important, but I've never really had anything to write about. So this is a good way for me to ease into and see if it's something I could actually keep up with.
I was born and raised in Salem and have spent most of my life here, minus roughly four years when I lived and went to school in Eugene. There was a time in my life that I thought I would be miserable if I ended up here after college, but truth is I love Salem. I don't think I really want to spend all of my 20s here...But I may change my tune on that too. After about a year of debating where I wanted to go to grad school and what program would fit me best, Willamette just made the most sense and I couldn't be happier that I made the choice to stay here...For now at least...
I have wanted to be a teacher for many years, and I finally found a subject that I'm passionate about and excited to teach. Ideally I would like to teach high school history or more broadly one of the social studies. I have always brushed aside middle school because personally I think that may be the peak in children's obnoxiousness, but I've recently been thinking about it more and more. There's something appealing to me about that age group now. I feel like at that age students haven't become as hardheaded as they do in high school, but they are old enough that you can really impact their life. So I think I just need to spend more time in middle schools and high schools to find my niche.
As for myself, I love to travel when I have the money and time. I recently returned from Thailand and Cambodia, and that was an experience to say the least. I have never really traveled to a location that was so culturally different than what I was used to and it was definitely an eye-opening experience. Though I haven't even been back long, I'm already looking to the future to figure out where and when I can go next. I should probably also be researching get-rich-quick schemes to finance these travels... Other than traveling I love love love to read, I like being outdoors and hanging out with people. Also I have a really awesome dog that I am marginally obsessed with. But she's cool, so it's not weird.
Well, that about sums me up. Until next time.
I was born and raised in Salem and have spent most of my life here, minus roughly four years when I lived and went to school in Eugene. There was a time in my life that I thought I would be miserable if I ended up here after college, but truth is I love Salem. I don't think I really want to spend all of my 20s here...But I may change my tune on that too. After about a year of debating where I wanted to go to grad school and what program would fit me best, Willamette just made the most sense and I couldn't be happier that I made the choice to stay here...For now at least...
I have wanted to be a teacher for many years, and I finally found a subject that I'm passionate about and excited to teach. Ideally I would like to teach high school history or more broadly one of the social studies. I have always brushed aside middle school because personally I think that may be the peak in children's obnoxiousness, but I've recently been thinking about it more and more. There's something appealing to me about that age group now. I feel like at that age students haven't become as hardheaded as they do in high school, but they are old enough that you can really impact their life. So I think I just need to spend more time in middle schools and high schools to find my niche.
As for myself, I love to travel when I have the money and time. I recently returned from Thailand and Cambodia, and that was an experience to say the least. I have never really traveled to a location that was so culturally different than what I was used to and it was definitely an eye-opening experience. Though I haven't even been back long, I'm already looking to the future to figure out where and when I can go next. I should probably also be researching get-rich-quick schemes to finance these travels... Other than traveling I love love love to read, I like being outdoors and hanging out with people. Also I have a really awesome dog that I am marginally obsessed with. But she's cool, so it's not weird.
Well, that about sums me up. Until next time.
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